Infertility can be caused by an imbalance within the body mind spirit system, which can, in turn, be caused by various factors, like physiological problems, such as tumors and endometriosis which may cause blockages within the fallopian tubes by scar tissue, stress or depression, which ironically may be caused by trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant and is perpetuated as a catch 22 the more the couples tries and fails to conceive. Luckily, one of the wonderful effects of acupuncture is that it relieves emotional stress and alleviates depression, hence facilitating conception. Acupuncture also enhances the flow of blood and Qi (energy) to the lower jiao or lower abdomen, which can help in conceiving. It is also important to determine if the man has issues such as low sperm count or motility. If this is the case, acupuncture may help with that as well. After all, in this particular area, as the old saying goes, it definitely “takes two”.
A couple may also have trouble getting pregnant if there is disharmony within the internal organs. Since having acupuncture treatments will facilitate the smooth flow of blood and Qi throughout all of the organs, it will greatly help with everything working together. After all, within the realm of holistic medicine, the health of the whole person is taken into consideration.
Therefore, anything that causes a disharmony within the different systems, whether it is physical, mental, or emotional, can be the reason for the malfunctioning of bodily processes and the cause of infertility.
The lack of conception can be the result of many causes. It is the job of the Acupuncturist to figure out the reason and correct it, resulting in the woman being able to get pregnant. I have had excellent results with patients who have this issue, whether the woman is undergoing IVF (in vitro fertilization) treatments or not. What I have found is that the acupuncture strengthens and enhances the IVF treatments if the patient is undergoing them. Even if she is not doing IVF, she can still get pregnant with acupuncture treatment.
As mentioned before, in Oriental Medicine, infertility can be caused by various issues. By doing an assortment of diagnostic procedures, I have been able to come to the proper treatment protocol resulting in the patients’ pregnancy. The aforementioned diagnostics are not done by modern machines, but by ancient techniques that have been proven to work over the period of thousands of years, namely tongue diagnoses, twelve-pulse diagnoses, which is the examining of twelve pulses on the wrist (six on each wrist at shallow and deep levels), interviewing and observing the patient, and palpating of acupoints along the main meridians or in the ear.
These methods of diagnoses help the Acupuncturist hone in on the issues that are blocking conception, so that she may be able to put together a formula for treating and overcoming the obstacles. In fact, this diagnosis protocol can and has, in my private practice, helped patients overcome hundreds of various ailments and maladies.
The greatest plus of all with acupuncture is that it does not have any negative side effects, and is very compatible with other forms of medical treatments.